The improvements differ between regions so naive dumbing-down arguments do not wash

Mike Cresswell, director general of the AQA

A surge in applications, fuelled by the recession, coupled with a Government cap on extra student numbers, means that there are expected to be just 22,000 places available in clearing this year.

This could mean up to seven applicants fighting for every available place.

Clearing, which opens today, is the service which matches students without a university place to courses with vacancies.

Figures published by UCAS today showed that 135,114 students were already eligible for clearing this year, because they have not met the grades required for their chosen university, have chosen not to take up an existing offer, or were not holding an offer.

Today Mike Cresswell, director general of the AQA, insisted there was no evidence to prove the latest record results were evidence of easier A levels.

“The improvements differ between regions so naive dumbing-down arguments do not wash," he said.

He added that the differing breakdown of results region-by-region
proved exams were not getting easier. Student exam papers are marked
the same nationwide.

“There are
no easy options at A-level," he explained. "If exams were getting easier, we would see
trends across the regions.

“There are very significant differences in the improvements.

The overall pass rate has soared again this year

“The North East and London are the biggest improvers in grade A.”

A-levels are changing from September with the introduction of more
analytical final exam questions and an A* grade.

The A* grade would only be given to students who achieved a score above 90 per cent.

Greg Watson, head of the OCR exam board, said: “There is a need to create some greater difference at the top end.

“When we sit here next year there will be a smaller category of students who have cleared the highest hurdle.”

But teachers leaders’ warned that new, tougher A level exams could spell the end of record pass rates, and next year could see the first fall in decades.

But students face a scramble for a place at university

Jerry Jarvis head of the Edexcel exam board said the awarding bodies had been engaged in “lots of discussions as to whether the grading system is capable of differentiation”.

He said that many of the UK’s leading universities were saying they have difficulty in choosing between applicants in certain subjects.

“I think it’s a discussion that needs to be had.

“There’s no question about it, it’s a discussion about the value of the A-level, it’s still a hugely trusted qualification.

“More and more students are making the grade, it’s a consequence of success rather than a failure of the system itself.”

Up to seven applicants could be fighting for one place

When asked whether there was a need to shake up courses, he said: “Well that is going to happen anyway. The A-level next year is very different to the A-level this year.”

Mr Jarvis also said students could be given marks as well as grades in the future.

He said: “We are looking at ways of discriminating or ranking figures quite regularly in discussions we have.

“In the future we may see complementary measures of performance.

“Grades have been around for a long time, grades have a very strong brand, the public have a feel for what is meant by grades.

“Comparing performance year on year is very important, for A-levels particularly, there’s a great public perception and understanding of what it is.

“As grades themselves give us difficulty because of the increasing pass rate, we will continue to look at complementary ways of doing this.”

The results for 2009 show a disparity between grades achieved by pupils at private and state schools.

This year, more than half of entries from fee-paying schools were
awarded an A grade, compared with just over a fifth of entries from
comprehensives.

The figures also showed traditional subjects are still firm favourites for
A-level students, with English and maths again the top choices.

There were an extra 7,882 entries for maths this year, and an extra 1,382 entries for further maths, compared with last year.

The statistics also show the tide is turning in science subjects, with
an increase in the number of entries for chemistry and physics.

This may be due to a Government push to encourage pupils to take these
subjects, and could also suggest students are turning their backs on
so-called “softer” subjects.

There has been a big drop in the number of students taking general studies, PE and performing arts.

Languages also saw a slump in popularity this year, as entries for both French and German fell. There were 552 fewer entries for A-level French, which saw an increase in candidates last year.

More than 300,000 teenagers sat the exams this year, but while many universities are warning they are already full - one or two are still advertising vacancies.

Portsmouth, Middlesex and Hertfordshire universities are all advertising for clearing on The Student Room website.

The advice to unsuccessful A-level students is not to panic.

Despite this year’s added constraints, there is time to check out different courses, according to George Turnbull, the official “exams doctor” for new regulator Ofqual.

He said: “If a student has not got the grades they need for either their first choice or insurance offer, traditionally the thing to do would be to call the faculty they applied to.

“Normally if they had slightly missed their grades there would be a reasonable chance they would still get a place.

“This year it is going to be difficult because of the increase in applications, but it is still worth checking.”

Guidance from the university admissions service Ucas says that students should be sure a course is right for them before accepting a place.

The first port of call is to talk to a careers adviser at school, college or the local careers office to discuss options, Ucas says.

Clearing vacancies are published on the Ucas website and in the national press from today, and the lists are updated regularly.

The guidance says: “There is no guarantee that places will be available on any particular course. At the same time, a course that is full may have vacancies later.”